Our Friendly Rite Aid Store

Today we used coupons to purchase the following at Rite Aid. Total cost was $2.35, but you might could do better with additional coupons! Some items, like the men's Nivea body wash, cereal and toothpaste, printed out Up Rewards which were used for two of the three transactions. Two packages of rite aid brand invisible tape (three in each pkg.) didn't make it into the photo. We really needed some tape, so I was happy for these. These last three tubes of toothpaste were moneymakers and helped me to qualify for a $10.00 RA gift card that I should get in the mail soon (Oral Care Rebate #560 which runs through 09/25/10).

It's great to get free stuff from RA,
and it's even better when they pay you extra
for taking home enough of it!

If you would like to purchase any of these, here's what I did:

Note: You must scan your Wellness Card at the beginning of each transaction!
These deals are good through Saturday ~ exception ~ the oral care rebate runs till 9/25. I began with $3.00 in UP rewards.

1st transaction:

1 Ace athletic tape $3.99
1 Total Advanced tpaste $3.00
1 RA Tugaboo Trial size diapers $0.89
2 Kell Corn Flakes $4.00
2 RA 3pk invs. tape BOGO free $3.49
Total before q's $15.37

LESS Coupons used:
Weekly RA flyer in-ad q for Ace $4.00
Colgate manf. q $1.00
RA Tugaboo q found in trial size package $1.00
Kell cereal when you buy 2 manf. q (Food Lion printout) $1.00
RA video values q on 2 pkgs tape $1.00
UP rewards $3.00

Total OOP (out of pocket) incl. tax $5.04

Up Rewards Received for use on next purchase:
for Colgate $3.00
for cereal $1.00




2nd transaction:

1 Ace athletic tape $3.99
1 Total Advanced tpaste $3.00
1 RA Tugaboo Trial size diapers $0.89
2 Kell Raisin Bran $4.00
Total before q's $11.88

LESS Coupons used:
Weekly RA flyer in-ad q for Ace $4.00
Colgate manf. q $0.50
RA Tugaboo q found in trial size package $1.00
Kell cereal when you buy 2 manf. q (Food Lion printout) $1.00
UP rewards applied $4.00

Total OOP incl. tax $1.77

Up Rewards Received:
for Colgate $3.00
(It should have given me an additional $1.00 for the cereal,
but this RA didn't actually carry the 15 oz. in Raisin Bran)




3rd Transaction:

2 Nivea men's bwash at $1.99 each $3.98
1 Total Advanced tpaste $3.00
Total before q's $6.98

Coupons used:
Nivea manf. q wyb 2 (online printable) $4.00

*Total OOP incl. tax $3.54

Up Rewards Received:
for Colgate $3.00
for Nivea $2.00
*I didn't use my $3.00 upr because total before tax was $2.98 so I still have another $3.00

Several weeks ago, I bought one trial size Tugaboo diapers for 99 cents. It had a $1.00 q inside.
Each time I visit RA, I purchase one with the old q, then take out the new q for next time. After I receive the $3.00 SCR for the invisible tape, my total w/ tax will amount to $2.35! Plus, I now qualify for the $10.00 Oral Care Gift Card!

Tufted Ottoman

Over a year ago, I picked up an ottoman for free at a friend's yard sale. It hung out in our garage far too long! This past Thursday the big girls and I determined to recover it. Here's the result! I am especially grateful to Eady, who recovered all the little buttons, and to Lillian who did the machine sewing. Supplies cost next to nothing ~ fabric cost about $8.00, the cushion cost $2.00 (purchased from an estate sale - brand new) needle, thread and staples were on hand, and the cardboard strip placed on the underside of the skirt's piping was made from a cereal box.

I have a few more yards of the same fabric to use on my next project. This chair wants some professional help!

Quick Stop with my Hubby

Tonight T. and I stopped at HT on our way home from a dinner party to pick up some free sour cream. Kraft cheese is offering a $5.00 catalina coupon when you buy 5 participating items. Breakstone sour cream is on the list, and I had two $0.55 coupons that doubled (you might have access to more than one computer and could print more). The 5 sour creams totaled $4.64 after coupons, and I received $5.00 off my next purchase. While perusing the aisles, we found a few more good things. Our total was $13.37 for everything (a savings of $27.00 : ) We'll have to make some good rolls to go along with the sausage.

Good Deal on Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . and other *ahem* items

If you are in the market for a new printer, you may want to check the prices of the ink cartridges and find out how often they need replacing before making a decision on what brand of printer to buy. Our printer is a bit frustrating at times. It uses 4 individual cartridges, and when one color runs out the printer stops working. Unfortunately it uses up color ink even when we print black and white. So, we often replace blue, magenta or yellow ink even though we primarily print b/w. That is the case right now ~ magenta and black cartridges are running very low, so I was happy to find that Office Depot has a $10 off $25 purchase coupon for this week.
Here's what I purchased:

ink ~ $13.99
*Purell ~ $4.99
**Expo markers ~ $5.29
***Post-It's ~ $0.99

Subtotal ~ $25.26
Coupon ~ less $10.00

Total out-of-pocket with tax ~ $16.48

*Purell Mail-in-Rebate ~ $4.99
**Expo Mail-in-Rebate ~ $5.29

Total with tax after Rebates ~ $6.20

A 55% savings - not too bad for ink, considering the other "freebies."

*The Purell mir is a limit of 5, but all must be purchased in the same transaction.
**The Expo rebate will print out with your receipt when you purchase it. Limit 1.
***The regular price for these Post-It's was $5.99, with an instant $5.00 rebate. I printed out a $1.00 coupon from moneysavingmom.com, but Office Depot says they do not accept any manufacturer's coupons.

You might note that the $10 off $25 cannot be used for HP ink and some other items listed on the coupon.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Now for a very interesting transaction at Rite Aid. Before you ask any questions, I'd like to say that I'll make at least $15.00 on this deal after receiving my mail-in-rebates, and I also have a $7.00 Up Reward to use towards my next purchase!

I hope you get a good laugh out of the photograph ~ one of my lovely daugh . . . someone with a very good sense of humor snapped it for me and even loaded it onto the computer so as to save me time, and I very much appreciate it! Btw, laughter has wonderful benefits, some of which are listed below.

The following is quoted from about.com.

• Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.

• Physical Release: Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.

• Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.

• Distraction: Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress, and negative emotions in a more beneficial way than other mere distractions.

• Social Benefits of Laughter: Laughter connects us with others. Also, laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more! : )

Now, after all that, I would be very embarrassed if you didn't have a good laugh.

Total before coupons ~ $32.36
Dollar amount of coupons used ~ $23.50

All of the items were on sale. After coupons it was ~ $10.65
Mail in rebates total ~ $25.98
Up Reward for next time ~ $7.00
So actually, a $22.33 money-maker!

These two boxes of Kleenex will come in very handy until a great toilet paper deal comes along (I just can't make myself pay full price!) A trial size bag of Tug-a-Boo diapers didn't make it into the picture, although it would have been very appropriate, considering. And, I won't give any hints, but I'm pretty sure I know someone who could use this Cryostat. Is there anyone out there who is interested in the Zegerid or Dulcolax?

1 Penny School Supplies

Staples has a great deal on copy paper right now. You can buy up to 2 reams for $4.99 each, submit an online rebate (very easy to do ~ just follow the directions on the printout they staple to your receipt) and get back $4.98 for each ream ~ so you only pay 1 cent each. Also, teachers can buy up to 25 packs of pencils and up to 25 folders, both for one penny each. I showed my Home School Legal Defense Assoc. card as proof of our school. Traditional school teachers can show a pay stub as form of id.

They also have a ink cartridge recycling program. They will pay $2 per cartridge (used to be $3) and you have a limit on the number you can take per quarter. (Check with them about what brand names they accept.) At the end of the quarter, they send out a check that you can use in the store. I was able to use my last check to pay for all but $3 of the total today, so I didn't have much out-of-pocket expense.

Night Night ~

Little princess loves her new nightgown!

Food for Thought

Someone suggested we microwave the corn for supper tonight. Mom and I agreed that this was probably not a good idea. My suspicions about the microwave oven go way back. It has always been important not to stand too close while using a microwave. Then years ago we began covering food with waxed paper or a paper towel rather than plastic wrap when heating food in the microwave. More recently, we stopped using it to heat all but water. After reading a few articles online about the effects of microwave cooking, I'm ready get rid of it altogether! Here are a few interesting findings based on individual studies (referenced on Dr. Mercola's website):

• Up to 97% of the beneficial antioxidants in broccoli are lost
• Vitamin C in asparagus is reduced
• Garlic loses it's principle cancer fighting power as allinase becomes inactive
• 30-40 % of milk's B12 is lost
• Disease-fighting agents in breast milk are destroyed

Other articles I read discuss the ill-effects of heating foods in plastic containers or wrap as well as microwaves causing the formation of carcinogens in foods.

Back to the corn ~ it turned out to be very delicious. We stood the cobs on end in a pot with an inch or two of water, brought it to a boil and let it cook for a few minutes. The heat was turned off and it sat until everything else was prepared.

Happy Independence Day!

Greetings from the coast!

What a beautiful day to celebrate the birth of our nation. It is a privilege to live in America, despite all of those whose desire it is to take away the freedoms given to us by our Creator. God's Word reminds us . . . "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." ~2 Chronicles 7:14.

Please enjoy the parade!

(This was actually the last photo!)

T. enjoyed a yummy hot dog!

Check out the lovely ring!

(Not sure what happened there . . . just learning to ropes . . .

working on a laptop has it's disadvantages!)

The necklace was a gift too - along with all the candy they threw our way!

Happy Birthday America!

Happy Day

We always enjoy going out to the blueberry field. Tonight was special, for lots of friends went along! We picked $26 dollars worth, which made 15 quart sized bag fulls. Hopefully we will get a chance to pick again. One can never have too many blueberries.